Torn & Tainted
by DeanandDamon
Summary: This is the sequel to "The End of the World." Damon and Elena are back, but there is darkness looming ahead...
1. Chapter 1

**Torn & Tainted (Sequel: The End of the World)**

**My mind has been refreshed and I'm ready to give this story a sequel….**

**Warning: This will be darker and more dangerous! Nobody is safe! **

**If you have not read "The End of the World," please go read!**

**If you are a returning reader, WELCOME BACK!**

**Are you ready for another crazy journey?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the vampire diaries**

**Author's Note: I haven't written in awhile so I need to know if I'm okay….just please leave a review. Thanks! I will make them longer, but this is more like the intro leading to what's to come.**

**Chapter 1:**

**Damon let his eyes open. Anyone who were to look upon them, would be blinded instantly by their beauty and intensity. His eyes were a gift of his natural attractiveness, but behind those eyes lies something more…dangerous.**

**His powers.**

**Damon was the Wildpower, cursed with the power to destroy the world. Even as he lay there in bed, he felt the power coursing through his veins. It threatened to consume him and tear him apart, causing him to become a monster.**

"_**A monster capable of killing Elena**_**," he thought self-loathingly.**

**The memories of those dark times were vague, but he remembered enough to feel the shame and guilt. What scared him more than anything was that the monster inside of him could erupt. He could become what he feared the most. He could finish what he almost let happen. He could annihilate every last species on this Earth.**

**The image of Elena's lifeless body caused an involuntary shudder to rush through him. He instinctively clutched his fists, feeling the passion of his anger so fiercely.**

"_**I will never let her die. I will protect her until my last breath," **_**he thought determinedly.**

**A slight feeling of sorrow filled his heart when he realized the truth.**

"_**It is not I who does the protecting. Elena…she's the one that protects me."**_

**Images flashed by him…images of Elena's eyes piercing into him as the feelings of her love consumed him. She saved him that day by proving that love does exist. She reconnected them…she salvaged the bond that made them soul mates.**

**Damon almost smirked at the phrase, but it was true. Elena and him were soul mates. Bonded forever and forever bonded. No longer could one physically live without the other. No longer were their minds and emotions separated from each other. They felt what the other felt. They were practically one.**

**At the moment what he was feeling was a longing for her. He wanted to hold her and caress her hair. He wanted to look into those deep brown eyes, those eyes that looked into his soul. The only eyes that actually saw him for who he truly was. As he lay there in bed, he had the sensation that the desire he felt for her was intermingled with the intense yearning she was feeling for him. He knew that she wanted him. She was desperate for him. She ached for him. Damon couldn't help, but give a smug smirk. **

**After awhile, these mixed emotions were too much to handle. He walked to the bathroom and splashed some water on his face. Even before he had a chance to look up into the mirror, a slight chill ran down his spine.**

**Something was wrong. **

**Damon spun around, hoping his senses would discover what it was. He looked all around the room and let his ears listen to every sound. He could hear the howling of the wind from the cracked window. He could smell the lingering scent radiating off his body. Damon turned to the mirror. His face was pale, but created a striking contrast with his plump red lips and jet black hair. His hypnotic blue eyes stared back at him.**

**He felt it again. There was something terribly wrong…and Damon tried to block the feeling away.**

**No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't deny that he knew what it was.**


	2. Chapter 2

Torn & Tainted (Sequel: The End of the World)

**Disclaimer: I do not own the vampire diaries.**

**Author's Note: Reviews would be nice! : )**

**Chapter 2:**

**Elena let out a mournful sigh as she looked out the window, staring out at the desolated town Mystic Falls. This was the town she grew up in. This town was all she knew…**

**After the massive vampire attack on Thanksgiving, things had changed forever. There were many tragic deaths that day. There were some who survived and escaped the town as fast as they could. There were others who decided to stay, hoping to restore Mystic Falls to what it used to be. While still some seemed skeptical, most of those who stayed now could no longer deny that monsters truly existed. Vampires had become a reality and there were those who wanted to fight back.**

**Elena snapped herself back to reality, realizing she was still wrapped in her towel. After waking up that morning with very little sleep, she hoped a shower would revive her. Her thoughts were constantly in turmoil and her body was still trying to recover from all she endured the past month. But deep down inside, deep into her soul…she felt this peaceful calm.**

**Damon had returned to her. After all seemed lost, she was able to get him back and suddenly life never seemed so wonderful. After that night on the boardwalk, she wanted to spend every last waking minute in Damon's arms. The feeling of longing she had for him scared her sometimes. The depth of her love and the intensity of her passion was almost to much to bear. Her feelings only got that much more complicated when she was sharing Damon's feelings as well. Their relationship was definitely complex. **

**Relationship? Well that was the problem. As of now, they had no relationship. After everything that happened the last few days, both Elena and Damon agreed on taking things slow. Life was already complicated enough without mixing in their soul mate quandaries. But as she was standing near the window, picturing his intoxicating lips lightly caressing her neck…**

**Elena found herself absentmindedly, stroking her neck. Embarrassed, she quickly got dressed, forcing herself to think of something else. Suddenly she turned to her nightstand to reach for her vervain necklace, but saw that it was not there. **

**The image of Katherine's face flashed through her mind. She had not told Damon or anyone else for that matter that Katherine was still alive. She tried to convince herself that she might have been imagining things, but she knew the truth. Katherine was still around and it was about time before she started up trouble again. While Damon could feel she was hiding something from him, he didn't know just what it was. They never shared each other's thoughts directly…except that one time they spent the night together…**

**Elena forced her thoughts back on track. Her necklace was missing. Should she freak out? Elena took a deep breath and let herself calm down. She walked across the hall to Jenna's room and knocked lightly.**

"**Come in," rang Jenna's voice.**

"**Have you seen my necklace?" Elena asked as she walked into the room. She was taken aback when she saw her aunt dressed in a professional-looking suit.**

"**No I haven't Elena-why are you looking at me like that?" Jenna asked self-consciously.**

"**I'm just not used to seeing you in suits. That's all," she responded with suspicious overtones.**

"**Okay okay…if you must know…I'm joining the new Founder's Council."**

**Elena stared at her aunt incredulously. "But…why?"**

"**Don't look at me like that. You were the one who insisted that we stick around. So we did and now I want to help rebuild this town," Jenna explained, standing a little taller now.**

**Elena never knew her aunt to join any group or support any cause, let alone start up a new Founder's Council. Suddenly Jenna took hold of Elena's shoulders and looked into her eyes.**

"**Those vampires killed some of my friends. I'm going to do whatever is in my power to get rid of each and every last one of them. I'm going to help bring our town back." Jenna's voice cracked as she tried to fight back her tears. Elena did not know what else to do, but nod her head in understanding. This was just one more thing that she would have to deal with.**

**Ten minutes later, Elena managed to escape her house. She was going to meet Stefan and Bonnie at the mansion to discuss what would happen next. Alaric wanted to be alone the last few days after the death of Isobel. **

**Elena decided that she would have to reveal to them who she saw on the boardwalk. She would also have to mention her "missing necklace."**

**Elena didn't know if Damon was going to show up at this meeting. Just thinking about seeing him again was causing her skin to heat up. She instinctively looked down at her arm to stare at the crescent shaped into her skin. This was the symbol of her and Damon's connection as soul mates. Damon had the crescent burned in the exact spot on his arm. She lovingly stroked her finger across the crescent…**

**A jolt of electricity spread through her body so suddenly that Elena had to pull over the car. She sat there, breathing heavily with her arms clutching the steering wheel. A part of her knew that Damon was experiencing the same feeling at that moment. She took another breath and let herself continue driving. In no time, she was parked right outside the mansion. At that single moment, Elena felt it.**

**A shudder of anticipation swept through her. Elena felt Damon. He was inside the mansion right now…and he was seething with anger. She would have felt concerned if not for her overwhelming elation at being so close to him.**

**Elena got out of the car and rushed up the doorsteps. She took one more breath of excitement and opened the door…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer****: I do not own the vampire diaries**

**Author's Note****: I know I haven't updated in weeks. So I decided to make an extra long chapter which I think you guys are really going to like. I also made it extra long because I will be out of the country for two weeks so I won't be able to update until I get back. But when I do, I will try to update more often. Thanks to all my readers and please remember to review!**

**Chapter 3:**

**The door slammed behind her. Elena was distinctly aware of Stefan and Bonnie's presence, but all her focus was on the man in the center of the room. Damon's face was still flushed from the rising wrath of whatever was troubling him. But in that instant both Damon and Elena's eyes met.**

**The world had stopped.**

**As she stared deep into his tantalizing eyes, she felt the intensity of his emotions pouring into her. **_**He was worried about her. He wanted nothing more in life, but to keep her safe**_**. She reflected back her desire to be held in his arms, to have him protect her. But even more than that, she wanted to be there to ease his burden of whatever was worrying him. She had this unfathomable need to alleviate his pain. Both of them wanted in that second to be alone with one another…to surrender to the desire that has been beckoning them together…the connection that urged them to be one…to be closer than ever. Despite all the bewildering and intense emotions, Elena noticed that Damon was trying to hide something from her…something that caused him immense terror.**

**And suddenly she was jerked back to reality. Without even realizing it, Bonnie had reached out to touch her arm.**

"**Elena, are you okay?" she asked worriedly. **

**It took a second, but despite the torture it caused her, Elena peeled her eyes away from Damon to look at Bonnie.**

"**Uh…yeah Bonnie I'm okay. But something here isn't. What is going on?" **

**Stefan and Bonnie looked at Damon, ready for him to have another outburst. Instead, Damon calmly lifted his hand to show Elena what he had in his hand. **

**There dangling lightly from his fingers was her vervain necklace.**

"**How did you-"**

**Before Elena could continue, Damon interrupted her with a fierce scowl.**

"**Do you know how dangerous it is to go around without this necklace?" Despite his angry tone, Elena heard agonizing concern underneath it all. Elena hated so much seeing the pain in his eyes, she did not know what to say.**

"**Damon found the necklace here this morning," Stefan explained, filling in the silence. **

**Trying to find her voice Elena finally spoke. "I don't know how it got there. It must have slipped off my neck last time I was here. I don't know why I didn't notice it was gone."**

**This explanation did not seem to relieve Damon's fury.**

"**I don't understand why you are so worked up over this Damon. I'm sure it was just as Elena explained," Stefan said obstinately. "We won against Katherine. It's over. I don't know who you think can possibly be after Elena now."**

**Elena felt her blood turn cold. She had to tell them. It was unfair to keep them in the dark. She looked up at Damon and noticed his head turned down. Something was tormenting him. Something wasn't right. Why was he so worried? And then it hit her…**

"**You know," Elena announced in shock.**

**It was like a sudden flash of comprehension. Damon then looked up at her and without having to say a word, Elena felt himself releasing the anguish he was trying to hide from her. He knows Katherine is still alive and yet…she had no idea how he knew.**

"**Know what?" Bonnie asked dismayed. Elena knew it was time to tell them. With a sigh, she let it all out.**

"**I'm sorry I didn't tell you all before. I thought we all needed a couple of days of normalcy after what we went through…"**

**She looked up at all of them and realized she was about to turn their lives upside down…again.**

"**That night that we destroyed the vampires in the tomb…well…Katherine was not among them"**

"**What are you talking about?" Bonnie said enraged. Stefan just looked on perplexed while Damon had his head down once more. **

"**That night on the boardwalk when Damon and I were alone, I thought I saw her…I mean I know I saw her. She was there watching us. She's still alive and probably trying to think of another plan to destroy us all," Elena explained reluctantly.**

"**Are you sure you saw her? Maybe it was a trick of the light. You just went through a horrible trauma," Stefan tried to rationalize.**

"**No. I saw her. I wish I didn't…believe me," she said in defeat. Although she wished it was only her imagination, it was no use lying to herself or anyone around her. Lives were at stake and denial would get them nowhere. She was hoping Damon would say something, but he continued his inexplicable silence.**

**Not being one to dwell on bad news, Bonnie stood fiercely before them, looking so much like the powerful witch that she was.**

"**If Katherine is really back, then we will defeat her like we did before. We will find out her plan and stop her," she said adamantly.**

**Stefan nodded. "We won't let her win. We'll stop her like we did before."**

**As they spoke their words of courage, Elena knew that a storm of anguish was building up in Damon's head. Katherine would be after Damon…the Wildpower. She would try to reawaken the monster inside of him…it was only a matter of time. Elena knew that this was his worst fear. But she also knew that as long as she was there with him, nothing would happen to him. Elena would be his savior.**

**She hoped through their connection, Damon would sense what she was feeling, but he still seemed so tense. Elena decided she had to change the topic.**

"**When the time comes, we will put a stop to Katherine once and for all, but for now we must focus on the problems at hand," she explained. **

**Bonnie looked up at her quizzically. "What problems?" she asked.**

"**This morning I found out Jenna is attending a meeting at the Founders Council," Elena remarked. **

"**Founders Council? I thought they were all turned into vampires and killed in the tomb?" Stefan pointed out.**

"**Yes, but now they are forming a new Founders Council and Jenna has decided to join. What's worse is that they are determined to seek revenge and kill every last vampire here in town….Jenna wants to kill every last vampire in town," Elena swallowed bitterly.**

**She knew the Founders Council were in way over their heads. While they may be able to cause some damage here and there, in the end, they were only causing danger for themselves. Elena nearly shivered remembering what happened to the last Founders Council. She dreaded to think if such a thing would happen to Jenna.**

**Stefan noticing Elena's train of thought, lightly squeezed her hand. **

"**Elena it will be okay. You and I can go over to the town center and check out what this meeting is all about," he said reassuringly.**

**Elena greatly appreciated Stefan's thoughtfulness, but the thought of leaving Damon at this time was too much to bear. There were things she had to know. It had been so long since they were alone…**

**But she did not want to hurt Stefan's feelings anymore than she had already.**

"**How about Stefan and I will go check things out," Bonnie suddenly exclaimed. Elena looked up slightly relieved and caught Bonnie's eyes. Bonnie gave her sly smile. Elena felt a rush of warmth appreciation for her dearest friend. While Stefan looked a little disappointed, he gave no complaints as he and Bonnie left the house.**

**Finally she and Damon were all alone. She felt a tingle of anticipation, but also a sense of foreboding. Damon was hiding something from her and she had to know what it was. After Stefan and Bonnie closed the door, Elena spun around to face Damon. He was nowhere in sight.**

**At first slightly perturbed. She closed her eyes and let the flood of Damon's emotions pour into her….She his presence in his room. He could not hide from her.**

**With a look of determination she raced up the stairs, ready to demand an explanation. **

**She swung open the door, ready to stand her ground when she saw him standing there waiting for her.**

"_**Do it. Do it now**_**," she urged herself. **

**It was no use. **

**One look into those captivating eyes had her lost to him forever. Without a word they both ran into each others arms. They both hungered for each other…it had been so long…**

**Damon passionately ran his mouth down her neck. She started tearing at his clothes. Her breaths were coming in quicker…there was no use resisting…they were born for each other.**

**She fell on to his bed. Damon on top of her. She feverishly kissed his succulent lips as he wrapped his legs around her waist. She gave a sudden moan in ecstasy…the room was spinning around her. Had she remembered to breathe? She gasped in another shock of pleasure…**

**Suddenly there was a sound of crashing glass. At first she thought she was just imagining things, but a sudden gust of wind filled the room. Damon slowly picked himself off the bed and walked toward the source of the sound. Still slightly dizzy, Elena took a deep breath and went to stand next to Damon. **

**There right before her was a hole right through the window. Looking down she noticed tiny pieces of broken glass. Surrounded by all the broken glass, Elena suddenly gasped in horror. There it was…lying there…it was a dead bird.**

**They were in there for nearly an hour. Stefan and Bonnie were sitting out in the bushes near the town building. Using his heightened sense of hearing, Stefan was able to listen into their conversation. They were a bunch of restless people desperate for revenge. There world was turned upside down by the appearance of vampires and the blood bath they had caused. Still trying to wrap their heads around these events, the people demanded to bring normalcy back to Mystic Falls. A man was busy describing his extreme revulsion toward the vampires and what they had done to his daughter. This all pained Stefan deeply. He hadn't wanted all these people to get hurt, but what they were planning would get them all killed.**

**He looked over at Bonnie. She was sitting on a rock, lost in her thoughts.**

"**It will be okay Bonnie. We'll figure out what she's up to," he assured her.**

**Bonnie looked up, surprised to see he was there. She really was lost in her own world.**

"**Oh, you're talking about Katherine," she mumbled half to herself.**

"**Well who else would I be talking about? Isn't that what is bothering you?" Stefan asked nonplussed.**

**Bonnie looked down at her lap.**

"**Yeah sure. I mean…we just spent the last few months trying to survive and now…we have to do it all over again. What if…what if we fail this time?" Bonnie asked with a slight tremor in her voice. **

**Stefan was not used to seeing Bonnie like this. He could always count on her to be strong. It shook him to see her so…scared.**

**He sat down next her and squeezed her hand.**

"**We won't fail." He looked in her eyes without faltering. If someone was going to remain strong in the group, he was determined to be that person. Bonnie smiled appreciatively to him. After a few seconds of silence, Bonnie turned back to him.**

"**I'm sorry about before…you know with Elena. I just knew that she needed sometime alone with Damon."**

**Stefan felt bitterness in his throat. He knew it too. Who could see past those longing looks they were both giving each other. It hurt him. There was no use denying the pain. He loved Elena. In fact, he would probably always love Elena. But…**

**But he knew he was foolish keeping Damon and Elena separated all that time. The way they were looking at each other…**

**He just hoped he would one day have that kind of connection with someone. Maybe one day…**

**Elena was sitting anxiously on the couch downstairs. Her hands were clamped tightly together, waiting for him.**

**Damon finally glided down the stairs and went over to sit next to Elena.**

"**So I closed up the window the best I can. I'll have Stefan help me with the rest when he gets back," he tenderly explained.**

"**Damon, what just happened? How can you be so calm when a dead bird just came flying through your window?" Elena asked irritably.**

**Damon just remained silent.**

**Something strange was going on…**

"**Damon…there has been something I've been meaning to ask you-" **

**Elena stopped mid-sentence when Damon held out her vervain necklace.**

"**I think it's about time you put this back on," he remarked, his voice so soft like silk. It made shivers run down her spine. He slowly slipped his hands around her neck, fastening the necklace together. His fingers gently touched her neck, causing her hair to stand on edge. The moment she felt his touch, electricity coursed through her veins. She knew he felt it too. She longed to be back in his room…continuing where they left off.**

"**You're tired," Damon said in a matter of fact tone.**

**Elena was surprised by this sudden comment, but suddenly realized how exhausted she truly was. He must have felt that. It had been days since she last slept. **

**Damon laid back on the couch as Elena put her head on his chest. He soothingly wrapped his arms around her. She let out a deep sigh as she breathed in his intoxicating scent. **

**It had been so long since she felt this safe. Here in his arms, all her worries escaped her. All that mattered was that she was with Damon…**

**Darkness engulfed her as she gave into sleep….**

_**Far far away she floated into oblivion. She was peaceful. She was in bliss. She continued to float away into a whirlpool of comfort…further and further away…Suddenly she was standing firmly in place. Her feet touched the cold floor and she recoiled from the iciness of the atmosphere. **_

_**Elena tried to look around and get an idea of where she was…but all she saw was darkness…a thick darkness that twisted around her and almost suffocated her. She wanted so much to see…so much to run. But she was rooted to where she was standing. She tried to scream, but no voice would escape her. Terror engulfed her. She was in terrible danger. She had to escape.**_

"_**KILL KILL KILL!"**_

_**A bloodcurdling voice pierced through the air.**_

"_**KILL KILL KILL!"**_

_**Elena tried to block out the voice, but it only seemed to get louder. She had no idea where the voice was coming from.**_

_**Tears stinging her eyes, she tried again to run for her life.**_

"_**YOU WANT TO KILL…YOU WANT TO KILL HIM!"**_

_**Elena had no idea what the voice was talking about, but she knew it was directed toward her. She shook her head fiercely. She so desperately needed the voice to stop.**_

"_**YOU WANT TO KILL HIM!"**_

_**And suddenly like that…the room was silent. Elena breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly the atmosphere didn't seem so cold. In fact, she felt something warm in her hands. She looked down, trying to figure out what it was. Suddenly her eyes began to see the shape of her hands…her fingers…there was liquid dripping through her fingers…**_

_**With a startled gasp, Elena realized she was looking at blood. Her hands were soaked in blood.**_

_**She was finally able to scream.**_


End file.
